refs didn't even know the rules

Growing up, my father would always rail when I tried to blame defeat on a referee or umpire.   He'd gripe when a bad call was offered as an excuse for a defeat.  He is now 85 and just as sharp as ever.  So I was surprised, then, when the first thing he said about the Ravens game last Sunday was how they'd been hosed by incompetent officiating.  I guess when it is that bad - and it was and then some - you have to call it for what it was.  The Ravens scored two touchdowns that were taken from them by two of the worst calls you'd ever care to see.  One came when Joe Flacco through a 30 yard TD pass to Jacoby Jones.  Jones' catch was a sight to see as he outjumped the Eagle defender for the pass.  The defender, for his part, never turned around to find the ball. Instead, he floundered around, bumping Jones repeatedly and waiving his arms in Jones face.  When the knucklehead disguised as a referee threw his flag, every fan expected it to be a moot point.  The Ravens would  naturally decline the pass interference in favor of the TD.  But the knucklehead called it on Jones.  Now remember, the defender never turned or made any effort to find the ball.  All he did was bump Jones as often as he could and waive his arms in the receiver's face.  Somehow, that isn't a penalty.  The second call was just as ridiculous.  I believe it was Torre Smith, the fleet-footed former Terp, who was hogtied by an Eagle a split second before the pass got to him in the endzone.  The ref saw it and threw his flag.  But instead of pass interference he called illegal contact.  Instead of first and goal at the one, it was a first down back around the 30.  Why would a defender hogtie a receiver if the ball wasn't in the air.  It actually appeared as if the man didn't know the rules.  I read where overall viewership is down and the ref strike is blamed.  Whether or not that is true is really unimportant.  If the NFL can't throw a few bucks to its referees, then it shoud refund some of the ticket price to the fans who are paying for the joke.  By the way, the Eagles "won" the game by one point, not counting the 14 the refs stole from the Ravens.  Tell me I'm wrong.